Saturday, September 1, 2012

COMMENTARY: Turkey Must Not Thwart Communities That Want to Recognize the Armenian Genocide

A Turkish deputy consul general visited the Pasadena (California) City Hall last month, in an effort to discourage the city from carrying out its plan to build an Armenian Genocide Memorial in a park.

The Pasadena Armenian American Coalition announced last April that Pasadena is raising funds and working with an architect to erect a monument in time for the 100th anniversary of the genocide in 2015.

We believe that this memorial monument should be built, despite Turkey's attempt to prevent its construction.

The fact is that some 1.5 million Armenians were killed by Turks from 1915 through 1923 in what was then the Ottoman Empire.

Although most historians agree that there was a genocide of Armenians by Turks, Turkey -- to this very day -- denies that such a genocide ever occurred.

Consequently, Turkey tends to become angry when a nation officially recognizes the Armenian genocide, and takes punitive action against that nation, such as ending diplomatic relations with it.

To be sure, nations, states, and local communities -- such as Pasadena -- must not be intimidated by Turkey, as they decide to officially recognize the Armenian genocide.

If Turkey wants to deny that the Armenian genocide ever occurred, it has a right to do so, but Turkey does not have a right to bully nations or communities -- as it did to the United States two years ago -- to discourage the  recognition of the Armenian genocide, which is indeed "a fact of history!"

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